Return to Reality: The Ironic Tale of a Ravenclaw
by Otspock
Summary: Companion to Welcome to Reality, Harry! This is the story of what goes on in the dimension Harry leaves behind.
1. Where am I? Who is the fat man?

Sep couldn't understand what had happened. Something must have gone wrong. After he had left his dad to return to his home dimension, he had found himself in a small, dark room which was cramped with broken toys. The only thing recognizable was a school trunk at the foot of the bed he was sitting on. Where was he? It wasn't Hogwarts as it had been when he had left his dad. Speaking of his dad, where was his father?

The flapping of wings alerted Sep to an owl in the corner of the room. It was a beautiful creature, snowy white, the only color being that of her beak and claws. The owl was the only bright spot of the room, quite a contrast to the bedroom he had left behind.

Suddenly, the door bell rang. Non pulsed, Septimus walked slowly to the door of the room, wondering whether or not to answer it. The doorbell rang again, this time three times in succession. In the room next to his, a roar of anger sounded which was echoed by loud footsteps which seemed to shake the whole house.

Suddenly the door to the room he was in flew open, and a great whale of a man stood there in the doorway glaring at its occupant.

"Boy! What is the meaning of this? What do you mean by waking everyone in the house?"

"It wasn't me." Was all Septimus could think to say.

"Don't be insolent with me boy! You are not in any position to . . ."

"Leave the boy in peace, Mr. Dursley. The boy will no longer be staying here." Sep looked up to see a tall thin man come into the room.

"What do you mean he is leaving?"

"I mean, that you will no longer have the dubious pleasure of entertaining Mr. Potter in your home." The man sneered.

"Well, good riddance!" The man spluttered. "Where is he going?"

"With me." Sep looked down at the two trunks, (his own and the one that had been there before) and the owl. The thin man followed his gaze, a look of contempt in his eyes.

"Well, Potter. Grab one trunk and I will grab the other." Taking out his wand, he placed a levitating charm on his trunk while the man did the same with the other.

They had just started out the door to the house, when an owl fluttered over head, dropping a letter on Sep's head. The letter was addressed to one Harry Potter.

"Sir, who is Harry Potter?" Sep asked. The man seemed quite surprised.

"Is there no Harry Potter in your dimension?"

"No Sir. The Potters were killed in a freak accident just after I was born."

"Oh." Severus Snape had no earthly idea how to respond, so he sneered. "Harry Potter was the alias of your counterpart, just as it will now be yours."

"But, father! I am not a prankster or a bully, as dad would always tell me James Potter had been. I do not want to be known as a Potter! Plus, the name Harry doesn't fit me at all!" Snape fought to hide his smile as he apparated them to Hogsmeade.

"Septimus, welcome to Hogwarts." Before Sep, a tall, thin old man sat in the headmaster's office, his blue eyes assessing him merrily. He seemed pretty eccentric to Sep, with a long white beard, hair, which was tucked into his belt, and half-moon glasses.

"Thank you Sir. May I ask where Headmaster Riddle is?"

"Riddle?" The man gasped as Severus sneered at the name.

"Yes, or are you the Headmaster in this world, Sir?"

"Tom Riddle of this dimension is an evil dark Lord bent on the destruction of our world. My name is Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts."

Septimus nodded thoughtfully. "I figured it would be something like that. I mean, why else would my father not have been able to take care of me?"

"What are you insinuating?" Snape growled.

"Well, dad use to tell me about you. He said that you were quite noble and always opposed against someone named Tom. I figured that Septimus (my counterpart) was in that filthy room because it was otherwise too dangerous for him. Am I correct?"

"You are very perceptive." Professor Dumbledore said after a moment's pause.

"So, I assume that I will be staying in Hogwarts, seeing as it is too dangerous to stay with my father."

"You are correct. You will be able to stay in the Slytherin common room and get to know your father a little more." Sep wrinkled his nose.

"Slytherin? Is there any place else?"

Once again, the ever-present sneer came to the fore." Not another Gryffindor!"

"No, Sir. I am a Ravenclaw." The look on Severus' face could almost be described as one of relief.

Sep laughed. "I think we will get along just fine, you and I?" Albus smiled, eyes twinkling, while Severus rolled his eyes and Sep took up his trunks and headed toward the Ravenclaw tower.


	2. Musings and the tale of a boy

It was eerily quiet and lonely in his rooms. Sep had finished unpacking his things in his new dorms and now he sat on his four-poster bed, staring at the trunk of his counterpart. It was a curious–looking trunk, almost new; as though Harry hadn't used it much. He felt as though he were invading the other's private space as he walked over and opened the trunk, but he knew that he would have to learn about his life in this dimension.

The first thing he saw as he opened the trunk was a photo album laying on top of all the clothes. Its edges were wrinkled and worn, as though the other boy had spent many hours a day looking through the book at its pictures. Turning the first page, Sep was shocked to notice a young woman with fiery red hair next to a man with a messy mop as black as his father's. In their arms lay a small infant.

This could only mean one thing and Sep hoped his assumptions weren't correct.

Dinner so far had been a quiet affair. Sep sat next to his father taking in his surroundings. He, his father and Professor Dumbledore, were not the only ones gracing the Great Hall this evening. So were Professor McGonagall, Trelawny (to whom he had just been introduced) and Sprout. Sep decided that there was no time like the present and brought up that which had been on his mid all day.

"Father," he said, startling the unknowing teachers to no end, "when had Septimus been given to the Potters?" At his words, Professor McGonagall sucked in a deep breath of understanding and his father scowled deeply. No one said anything for so long, that Sep feared he would get no answer. Finally, Dumbledore spoke. "Septimus, one thing you must remember, is that in this dimension, Tom Riddle turned into an evil dark lord who calls himself 'Lord Voldemort'.

"At the time, you and your counterpart were switched, Lord Voldemort terrorized the wizarding world and your father worked as a spy for me between Voldemort and the side of light. At the time, Harry lived with your mother as both had to be hidden from Voldemort. Luckily, when Voldemort discovered Severus' deceit, Harry had been visiting with the Potters, good friends of Patricia's. The Potters had a son, Harry. When they heard of Patricia's death, they knew they must hide her child to keep him safe from Voldemort. So they decided to disguise your counterpart as their son's twin.

"On the eve of Halloween, Voldemort decided to attack the Potters. Only one baby survived, managing to vanquish Voldemort. We were never completely sure which boy had survived that night, but we tended to believe it was Harry Potter, not Septimus Snape. We were wrong."

"But Father, why didn't you take in Septimus when Voldemort had been defeated?"

Severus sighed. "We knew that the Dark Lord had not been completely annihilated. We knew that he would one day return. We had to make sure that the Dark Lord's remaining supporters did not find out that Septimus survived. Besides, I truly thought my son had died, not that of my rival."

Later that day, Sep was walking across the castle grounds toward a large, obscure tree beneath which he sat. This tree stood away from the forbidden forest, but never-the-less seemed a part of it when observed from the castle.

Under his arm, the dark-haired boy carried a thick tomb entitled: _Advanced Potions beyond the average education_. Sep had always been interested in Potions, even before he had learned of his father's talents, and his dad had encouraged him to broaden his knowledge of the subject.

Sitting down, Sep opened to a marked page and began reading about the Zendonni Formula. This was a highly advanced potion which bordered on being illegal. The purpose of the formula was to transport items from this reality to another. He was quite curious if he would be able to communicate with his counterpart, Septimus, using it. According to the description, he was to put a drop of the Zendonni Formula onto said object and it would immediately disappear. However, he wanted to experiment with Boar's clover to transform a mirror into a porthole of sorts.

First, however, he would have to get the help of his father. His dad had been happy to aid in his experiments, but he had the feeling it would be much more difficult with this Severus Snape.

The next morning, Sep went down to the Great Hall and sighed in disappointment, as he scanned the long breakfast table. It was as though his father had known he would seek him out as he hadn't attended the evening meal yesterday either.

Septimus made sure to sit near the Heasdmaster and let the meal commence for 15 minutes before posing his question. "Headmaster, could you tell me where I can find my father's quarters?"

Dumbledore looked up, surprised. "He did not tell you where you could find him?" Sep shook his head and Dumbledore looked at him sadly. "Your father resides in the dungeons behind the portrait of a snake lazing on a rock before a small hut in the woods. You'll have to knock because, even though you are his son, I will not give out passwords without permission."

Sep sighed and thanked the Headmaster before heading out of the Great Hall and down the only winding staircase into the dungeons. After wandering for about 15 minutes, the teenager finally arrived at the designated portrait.

"Well," he said to the snake, which was lazily watching him. "Here goes nothing." Showing a confidence he did not feel, he knocked on the frame of the portrait. Silence reigned for about five minutes before the portrait opened and a cold voice said: "What do you want?"

"Good morning, Father!" Sep chirped, entering Severus' quarters. If his father was astonished, he did not show it. Instead he watched stoically as his son shifted from one foot to another before him.

Finally, Sep caved in and answered the question. "I have come to request your help. Dad and Uncle Albus always told me how good you were at potions and that I had inherited by ability from you." Severus remained silent, his eyebrow raised in query. "I want to try and make a connection between two dimensions through the use of a mirror and a potion. I have a basic idea of how to do this, but there are certain components that escape me."

"And how did you come to the conclusion that I would want you to blow my dungeons up? Despite being my son, I have no doubt that you are as incompetent as the other dunderheads I teach." Severus turned his back and walked towards a door on the other side of the room, making Sep's blood boil till he no longer could hold his tongue.

"Some father you are! No wonder Septimus never found out about his heritage, you don't give a damn! If that's the way you feel, I will leave you be and see you only at meals!" With that, Sep made his way back to the portrait. Before exiting the room, he turned to have the final word: "For your information: In the other universe, it was I that invented Wolfsbane and Veriteserum."


	3. Conversations in a Mirror

It had been a little over a week since Sep's arrival in his home dimension. His father having shown no interest in getting to know him, Sep had enclosed himself and concentrated solely on the alteration of the Zendonni Formula. After many experiments and 5 mirrors, Sep was able to find the solution. He dipped the newest mirror, one with a tame and quiet nature, in a solution of Boar's Clover and Parsley. After a moment it vanished. Next, he took out another mirror, which he had taken down from the wall, and dropped five drops of the new solution onto it. Five minutes later, the image in the mirror changed and he recognized the entranceway into Snape Manor.

"Dad? Septimus? Is anyone home?" He called. He had called about five times before the sweaty and excited face of his dad appeared.

"Sep?" He asked as though he couldn't believe it. "Oh, I've missed you so much! How did you manage to make contact? No, let me guess, you are the appearing and disappearing mirrors culprit. I know, potions, right? Did your father help you?" Here he stopped to take a deep breath and noticed the smile leaving his son's face.

"My father acknowledges my existence, but not because he wants to." Sep responded quietly.

"Oh, Sep. I am so sorry. How are things turning out otherwise?" As Sep told him what he had found out about Tim's home life and their circumstances, his dad's face steadily clouded over.

"That explains a lot about Tim's temperament." He said quietly.

"Why, what is wrong with him?"

"Oh, nothing is wrong with him per say, but there are times when his eyes will cloud over with unmentionable memories, and he goes somewhere we may not follow." After a pause, he brightened up and remarked: "Guess what Siri brought from his adventures?"

"No! Not a crumplett!" Sep exclaimed.

"The very same."

"I didn't think they existed!"

"None of us did. You can imagine Tim's surprise when Sirius gave him one."

"Where is my daring counterpart, anyway?" Sep asked.

"Oh! Let me go get him." For about five minutes all the mirror showed was the entranceway. Finally his father returned with a close replica of himself. There were quite a few differences, however, remembrances of the boy in the photo album lingered.

"What is this surprise, dad?" Tim asked as Sev led him before the mirror.

"Son, there is someone I'd like you to meet." Turning the boy to the wall, he said: "Tim, I would like you to meet Septimus, otherwise known as Sep. Sep, I would like you to meet Septimus, otherwise known as Tim."

"Wicked!" Both boys said before falling into peals of laughter. The boys spent the next hour telling each other what had happened to themselves when they had returned to their native dimension.

Sev looked on at their conversation, amazed at how similar, yet how completely different his sons were. He figured it had to have been the different ways that they had both gown up. His ears perked up at an exclamation from Tim. "What do you mean they are making you live as Harry Potter! No one should have to do that!"

"But Tim, you did." Sep said softly.

"And what did I get from it? With the tender age of one I was declared the savior of the wizarding world and at any hint of parseltongue or rebelliousness I am the accomplice of Voldemort, the Dark lord!" Without much of a pause, he continued. "Sep, could your shrink the mirror and bring it with you to the Great Hall at dinner tonight. I have a bone to pick with them"


	4. Accusations of a mirror image

That night, Septimus was anxious and eagerly awaiting the upcoming lecture he was sure was coming. Quietly, he walked up to the head table to stand before the Headmaster, glad to see that his father had decided to attend the meal.

"Excuse me, Headmaster Dumbledore." Suddenly he had everyone's attention focused on himself as he continued. "I have someone here who would like to speak to you."

"By all means my boy, who is this person you are talking about?"

"My counterpart, the boy you call Harry." Sep replied, took the mirror out of his pocket and returned it to its normal size. Taking a vial from his other pocket, he applied the potion to it and immediately Tim's visage appeared.

"Good evening Headmaster." Everyone was astonished. Here was a boy who looked remarkably like Severus and his son. "Now, as you can see, my counterpart, Sep, has invented a potion which allows us to communicate. This with no thanks to the greasy-haired bat over there."

"Tim! Don't talk to Severus that way!" Suddenly Sev appeared in the mirror, further astonishing the staff. "Hi son, how is dinner? Hogwarts fare is nowhere near to that of Frinkwy, but it is still acceptable."

"Yes, dad. Although tell Frinkwy that I still consider her beef steak to die for."

"Anyway." Tim broke in. "I have a bone to pick with the Headmaster and the Grease Ball."

"Tim, what did I tell you?" Sev said in exasperation.

"But Dad, he is the most unfeeling, insensitive asshole in need of a shower that I have ever met. And Snape, if you try to put Sep into detentions for my words, he will tell me and I will find a way to come back and hex you into oblivion. Did you know that the practice of parseltongue is an acceptable talent here?" Tim's face became positively feral and Snape's face paled considerably. This reaction didn't escape anyone.

"Now, Harry. You need to respect your elders." Dumbledore said benevolently.

"Bull shit!" Tim exclaimed. "For one, I owe respect only to those who return it in kind. Another, no such Harry exists, never has and never will again.; If you continue your current bad idea of Sep taking over as the Savior of the Wizarding World, he will return here as soon as he is able."

"But, he has family here!" Dumbledore protested.

"Family? His father dislikes him and you plan on using him in your grand scheme of things. No, don't deny it." Tim said, stopping all protests from half of the teachers. "My life with the Dursleys was hell. My room was a cupboard under the stairs and I was in it more than I was out of it. When I was out of it, I was either doing manual labour making the meals or participating in my cousin's favorite past time: 'Harry Hunting.' Are you lot so incompetent that you don't notice that the boy you stare at is malnourished and winces at touch in the beginning of every school year? Snape noticed. The oclumancy lessons confirmed his suspicions.

"In the end, I didn't learn occlumency to keep Voldemort out, Snape was a far worse threat to my well-being." The Great Hall was silent as they stared at the boy in the mirror. Never had they suspected anything of this nature. "For these reasons, I refuse to allow Sep to take up my old persona. I have every confidence that Sep will thrive despite the threat of war. If there is no possibility that Sep wishes to spend his holidays with the greasy git, than I insist he spend them with us. After all, with a little practice and blackmailing his father for help, he will be able to visit by Christmas." With this having been said, Tim went out of sight.

"I had no idea his life had been so bad." Professor McGonagal whispered and the others nodded with her. Only Snape remained passive.

"Severus, you knew of this." Dumbledore asked.

"No." he said after a moment's hesitation. "The images I had seen weren't substantial enough to create more than a slight suspicion.

"What, are you dumb as well as blind?" Sep asked harshly. "There were most likely classical signs of abuse to be seen. As Head of Slytherin House, you should have been able to see them immediately!"

"Yes," Madame Sprout said. "I know that of all of us, you have the most abuse victims in your house."

With these words, an argument broke out among the teachers. Tired of all this and sporting a gigantic headache, Sep went up to his rooms.


	5. Letters

Dear Mr. Lupin,

My name is Septimus Snape. According to Harry Potter, you are quite reasonable and will not throw this away before hearing me out. A little known fact about the Snape family is our ability to travel between dimensions. Every generation, the heir of the family is sent to a parallel universe to spend our first 16 years. In between universes, there are many differences, most resulting from a change in history. For example, in the universe I grew up in, Voldemort was never brought into existence. Instead of Albus Dumbledore, Tom M. Riddle resides as Headmaster of Hogwarts.

I am sure at this point you are asking yourself: What does this all have to do with you? Well, you see, my counterpart in this world had been posing as Harry Potter. It is a long and complicated story, but Tim, his real name is Septimus, told me that you had supported him through thick and thin and that I could trust you explicitly.

I am hoping that you will write back. I would really like a friend in this dimension.

Sincerely yours, Septimus Severus Snape

Dear Mr. Snape

First of all, I must tell you that it was quite a surprise to have you write me. I, however am very grateful to have you do so. Could you tell me how Harry, that is Tim, is doing? I have not heard from him all summer and so do not know if he is okay.

Does your being a dimension traveler mean that you are here to say, or only visit? Will Tim go to your dimension?

As for friends, you might want to talk to Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, They are Harry's best friends and I am sure they will not hesitate to take you into their fold.

I look forward to hearing from you soon,

Remus Lupin


End file.
